The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-12
Some Of Hermenn's Tricks.
From the Nen York Tribnne.

In an uptown managers Office the other
day a little group of theatrical men were
talking about the interstate commerce bill
and other cheerful subjects, when tall,
thin, swarthy man. with a dark curling
moustache and imperial, entered. He was
received by shout of welcome. Now for
some entertainment" said one of those
present, and in a very few minutes the
prophecy was fulfilled. The newcomer was
Hermann, a magician, who contrives to
make things generally lively wherever he
may happen to find himself. After replying
good-humOredly to a torrent of questions
about his recent Brooklyn adventure-he
was led to a police station and mar
rowly escaped spending the night
in a lookup, for playing a
caahe s aGfe on F2e UGeqRa f sas
great fun, boys, though have not yet seen
strictly true account of it. 1t made itself
as thus: find myself in a street-car with
two or three worthy people who look as
though they were too sleepy and need
waking up. I wake them Instead of
thanking me they accuse me to policeman
Of picking their pockets. The policeman
takes me to the station house with my sleepy
friends The Sergeant there takes the charge
down and asks me for what you
call my pedigree l give it to him
and am about to be sent to
dungeon, when with all the politenesss at
my command say: viii the Monsieurs not
search their pockets and see if they have been
truly robbed? They do so. The one who
has lost watch finds the pocket-book of the
other in his tail pocket, The pocket-book
man finds a gold watch in his trouser
pocket, while diamond pin which the third
man has lost is neatly pinned in the lapel of
the worthy policeman. Once more speaking
politely l say: Hold on, | too, have some
thing lost and taking off the hat of the ser
geant show him underneath the lining a
roll of greenbacks. They say no word and
1, bowling politely once more, leave the
station house.
For the next ten minutes Hermann turned
the gathering iato a private seanee and ex-
hibited in rapid succession some really as
tonishing sleight OF hand tricks. One of
the party was rolling a cigarette. Give
me cigarette paper, said Hermann. The
little book or cigarette papers was handed
to him: he took one out and began deliber-
ately tearing the slip of tissue paper into
eight or ten small pieces. These he folded
together once or twice and then passed them
to one of the party. "Roll it tight, - said
request was complied with, and little ball
of paper, the size of pea, was the result
of the process ''Unroll that SAID, Her.
mann, "but mind you do not drop the pieces
on the floor - The little ball was c5trefilly
unrolled and found to be whole, auntprn
piece of paper of the exact size and make
of that taken from the boakiT and
ject gazed blankly at this astonishing
Transformation, Herman took it
from him and folded it in two once more,
and giving it him back told him again to
roll it into small ball This was done. and
when it was once again unfolded, half a
dozen scraps of torn paper were all that re-
manned. He took q tobacco pouch from the
smoker and with a quick upward move
ment threw it into the cir 1t was gone,
completely vanished, and it need hardly be
said was found in the breast pocket of an
innocent on-looker. This was one of Her
mann's cleverest receptions, and one of
those present said he had frequently seen
him perform it with a wineglass half full of
wine He took the same tobacco pouch and
letting it rest in the palm of his hand, held
his hand well out from his body. He then
closed his white fingers upon it, opened his
hand again, and the pouch was gone, to re-
appear in a pigeon-hole of the managers
desk
Coins changed from silver to gold, dia-
mond ring mysteriously changed from the
finger of one hand to the finger of the other
without an apparent movement, and all
these startling little tricks, depending, of
course, upon pure sleight of hand, We're ac-
companied by an amusing chatter which
served the double purpose of entertaining
his friends and attracting their attention at
critical moments, Among the many stories
he told was one which seemed to one of his
hearers TO possess certain novelty. Some
one had said, when the name of a well
known prevaricator was introduced, that
he thought ne really believed many of his
lies himself II knew once" said
Hermann, "a business man in Mar
settles who was accustomed to
dine every day at little restaurant near
the harbor. One day he went 10 his dinner
and found every place occupied. He was in
a hurry, and being Gascon his fertile i'm
agination hit on an expedient. He slipped
ont of the restaurant and rushing in at the
front door called out, There is an enormous
whale in the harbor, and it is likely to do
harm to the shipping The excitement is
terrible Every one jumped to his feet and
in a few seconds the place was deserted.
Even the walters left their tables. The willy
Gascon as he watched them going, iidgeted
about bit, and then exclaiming, Il should
not wonder If it were true, I must go and
see it myself, rushed of to look at the
whale he had invented himself"